Opportunity Scholars Mentoring Program
“One’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”
– Oliver Wende Holmes
Dear Mentors,
Thank you for your willingness to support the education process and career development of our Opportunity Scholars!
The Opportunity Scholars mentoring program is research-grounded and serves several purposes, hence the value and importance of your involvement.
• Career exposure and exploration – familiarity builds con dence
• Industry professional interaction – comfort level and understanding of business culture
• Retention – keeping them engaged and motivated to graduate
There are other purposes for mentoring, but the three given are our focus. What you provide is a sound opportunity for these scholars to stay in school. Opportunity Scholars was created for this purpose, to retain and graduate our rst-generation scholars. Hence, through mentoring and other retention tools, our Opportunity Scholars continue to graduate at a greater rate.
Mentoring should not be burdensome but agreeable and comfortable. Attached are action items for you to utilize if
you choose. Action items will help create better interaction and follow-through. It will help develop goals, objectives, and the action plan to accomplish those goals.
To quantify what is expected, we ask that you meet face-to-face with your mentee at least two times throughout the academic year. If you desire more, that is for you and the mentee to decide. This can be done at the monthly Opportunity Meetings or something you schedule on your own. Use email, LinkedIn, social media, phone calls, or text messaging as other avenues of connecting with your Opportunity Scholar as long as you both agree.
We know the Opportunity Scholars have much to learn from you and we hope you gain from this opportunity as well. Again, thank you for choosing to be a mentor! If you have any questions, you can reach out to us.
Sincerely,
Opportunity Scholars Team
Program Overview
This mentoring program is for the academic year, upon which time mentoring is terminated. Mentoring may continue, but it would be at the discretion of the mentor and mentee.
Help students gain clarity about their career goals and options
Increase student self-con dence through exposure to the workplace
What is expected of me in my role as mentor?
• Two face-to-face interactions with your Opportunity Scholar throughout the academic year. This can be done during the monthly Opportunity Scholars meetings, a service project, a networking event, a worksite visit, or a time and place of your choosing. Once a semester is the minimum. Additional face-to-face meetings can happen at the discretion of both mentor and mentee.
• Help your Opportunity Scholars acquire the knowledge and information that will help to clarify their career interests
• Help your Opportunity Scholars identify and acquire the skills they will need to be successful business professionals
• Have regular contact with your Opportunity Scholars, which can be done via social media, email, phone, and face-to-face interaction
What can I do to be a good mentor?
At the heart of any successful and personally satisfying mentor program is a meaningful relationship. Here are a few tips on how to initiate and maintain a quality relationship with your Opportunity Scholar:
Provide positive role models in business
Invest in the future of the business world
• Think back to what it was like for you when you were rst starting out and of all the things you “wish you had known.”
• Sharing your career experiences (both successes and failures) and advice with your Opportunity Scholar can provide information that is both anxiety-reducing and educational
• Communication means listening and asking questions. Listening means suspending judgment and seeking an understanding. Asking powerful questions in a friendly way encourages your Opportunity Scholar to talk about what is important to them and can lead to valuable insights
• Complete the Opportunity Scholars Mentoring Contract to establish an understanding of the relationship
• Ask questions such as:
- What do you expect from this relationship? (see Attachment 1)
- What are your academic goals? Personal goals? Professional goals?
- What plans do you have in place to achieve these goals?
- How can I help?
- What is your working style? How should I approach you when o ering my advice, assistance or feedback?
- Do you need help learning to network?
With increasing professional demands, there is no “one-size- ts-all” mentor. Successful mentoring is a dynamic process whereby each mentor-mentee pair learns to respect and trust the other’s commitment and expertise, but individual choice and style play important roles. In these individualities, unique and vibrant mentoring experiences are created.
What other ways can I help?
• Open doors to other contacts and resources for your student based on their interests
• Encourage your Opportunity Scholar and help build self-con dence by focusing on their talents, assets, and strengths
• Demonstrate accountability and trust by establishing mutual expectations and keeping commitments
• Don’t be afraid to o er suggestions and feedback –especially with regard to professional workplace behavior and communication
• Get to know your Opportunity Scholar’s interests and look for ways to turn interests into opportunities and other “teachable moments”
• Provide an opportunity for Opportunity Scholar to job shadow at your place of employment (see Attachment 2)
What is a mentor?
Simply stated, a “mentor” is someone who forms a supportive, coaching relationship with someone else. A mentor can take on the role of an advocate, coach, teacher, guide, role model, counselor, valued friend, door-opener, benevolent authority, available resource, cheerful critic, career enthusiast and more.
What is a mentee?
A “mentee” is someone who is counseled, guided, advised, and served by the teaching rendered by a mentor. In this case, your mentee will be one of our Opportunity Scholars who is either a junior or senior in school. This means they are in upper-division and should be engaged in career service opportunities, internships, and building their network. You are adding yourself to their business network. As a junior/senior at one time, you know the idea of nding work and building a network is daunting. Your connection with your mentee will help alleviate the pressure yet face it in a planned and doable way.
A primary bene t to the Opportunity Scholar is the opportunity to develop a relationship with you as a business professional based on open and honest interaction. This allows the Opportunity Scholar to express themselves freely. Both mentee and mentor must safeguard information and con dences shared through mentor-mentee privilege. In cases of self-harm, harm to others, discrimination, sexual misconduct, or harassment, please contact the Opportunity Scholars team immediately.
There are times when mentor/mentee relationships are not successful. When both parties have agreed to stop participation in the program, please email Jason Atherton (Associate Director).
What if I need help?
If things aren’t going well with your Opportunity Scholar(s) – if they aren’t returning phone calls, missing meetings, or if you have other issues or concerns, contact Franscine Anmontha (Program Manager).
Resources for mentoring
• What Color is Your Parachute (Richard Nelson Bolles)
• Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career (Herminia Ibarra)
• Career Counselor’s Handbook, Second Edition (Richard Nelson Bolles, Howard Figler)
• Discover What You’re Best At (Linda Gale)
• Discovering Your Career In Business (James Waldrup, Timothy Butler)
• Power Interviews: Job-Winning Tactics from Fortune 500 Recruiters (Neil Yeager, Lee Hough)
• 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions (Ron Fry)
• Vault Career Guides
• How to Connect in Business in 90 Seconds or Less (Nicholas Boothman)
• How to Win Friends and In uence People (Dale Carnegie)
• Carmen, L.N. (1988). Issues in mentoring: De nitional and methodological. International Journal of Mentoring, 2(2), 9-13.
• Gehrke, N. (1988). Toward a de nition of mentoring. Theory into Practice, 27(3), 190-94.
• Gerstein, M. (1985). Mentoring: An age-old practice in a knowledge-based society. Journal of Counseling and Development, 64(2), 156-157.
• How to Ungoogle Yourself (wikihow.com/Ungoogle-Yourself)
• Delete Your Bad Web Rep (wired.com/2006/11/delete-your-bad-web-rep/)
• Reputation Defender (reputationdefender.com) if you have serious online identity issues
• Career Journal (careerjournal.com)
• ProQuest (proquest.com)
• Quint Careers (quintcareers.com)
Mentors, you are an extension of what takes place in the classroom. You bring to life and put into practical use what is taught, quizzed, and graded. You are the link between academia and the “real world.” Your insights, example, and encouragement will strengthen our future business leaders to brave the attempt and stretch themselves. Thank you for your willingness to change lives!
Mentor-Mentee Info
How often should we meet? (At least twice per semester)
What is the best way to communicate with one another? (Phone, e-mail, through an assistant, etc.)
Discuss con dentiality and no-fault termination
Who will initiate setting up the meetings? (Set up standing meetings, set up meetings individually, etc.)
What do we hope to accomplish?
Goal Setting
List three goals you have for the program and then list objectives for each of those goals. Objectives are the smaller steps you take to make progress toward your goals. Some sample goals and objectives are below:
Goal:
Develop a broad understanding of the positions available in my chosen eld.
Objectives:
Review a variety of job descriptions with my mentor.
Conduct informational interviews with other business professionals (perhaps in your mentor’s organization or with your mentor’s colleagues in other industries or organizations).
Goal:
Get ready to conduct a successful job search.
Objectives:
Develop a resume. Have my mentor review my resume.
Have my mentor conduct a mock interview.
Conduct informational interviews to increase comfort level with talking to professionals.
These are just examples of goals and objectives. Your own goals and objectives should be tailored to match their career goals. Are these goals realistic? Be forthcoming with the realities of what it takes to attain their dream professional career. Create a solid plan and provide plenty of encouragement and “you can do this” like verbiage. Language is highly charged. What you say as a professional weighs heavily in their mind. They have heard it many times before “you’re not smart enough”, “why are you going to college”, “don’t waste your time”, etc. So, no need to add to it. Be proactive yet real about putting things in perspective, creating a plan to reach those goals, and making sure it is on paper.
Activity Lists
Here are some more examples of how to make the most of your mentor relationship:
• Tour mentor’s job site
• Discuss your mentor’s rst job and career path
• Attend a meeting of a professional organization
• Discuss job search strategy
• Discuss di cult career and / or management decisions your mentor has made
• Discuss organization cultures
• Discuss what it takes to get ahead
• Learn about employment bene ts and other kinds of important decisions you’ll make when nding a job
• Discuss work and life balance
• Discuss business issues such as taxes and regulations
• Discuss current events related to the business world
Goal Setting
Opportunity Scholar Mentee
Goal:
Objectives:
Goal:
Objectives:
Goal:
Objectives:
Helpful Job Shadowing Questions
If you are given the opportunity to “job shadow” a professional, here are some things to look for and ask yourself:
• What do you do? What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of your job?
• Is there exibility related to dress, work hours, vacation schedule, place of residence, etc.?
• If your job progresses as you like, what would be the next step in your career?
• With the information you have about my education, skills, and experience, what other elds or jobs would you suggest I research further before I make a nal decision?
• Are there organizations you are expected to join?
• Are there other things you are expected to do outside work hours?
• What interests you least about the job or creates the most stress?
• What is a typical career path in this eld or organization?
• What is the best way to enter this occupation?
• Does your work relate to any experiences or studies you had in college?
• How did your college experience prepare you for this job?
• What courses have proved to be the most valuable to you in your work? What would you recommend for me?
• How important are grades/GPA for obtaining a job in this eld?
• What abilities or personal qualities do you believe contribute most to success in this eld/job?
• What are the typical entry-level job titles and functions? What entry level jobs are best for learning as much as possible?
• Do you have any advice for someone interested in this eld/job? Are there any written materials you suggest I read?
Helpful Job Shadowing Questions
• Which professional journals and organizations would help me learn more about this eld?
• What kinds of experience, paid or unpaid, would you encourage for anybody pursuing a career in this eld?
• What special advice do you have for a student seeking to qualify for this position?
• Discuss what it takes to get ahead
• Learn about employment bene ts and other kinds of important decisions you’ll make when nding a job
• Discuss work and life balance
• Discuss business issues such as taxes and regulations
• Discuss current events related to the business world
Learn more!
